Edge of Destruction SYOT CLOSED
by AgentWriter
Summary: When an ancient legend starts to surface, and the first of the Objects are discovered, everyone wishes to possess the Magical Items. The Order attempted to keep them from knowledge. But when their plan goes awry, and the highly skilled Shadow Agents are within reach of unlimited power, both Muggle and the magical world depend on a group of witches and wizards working together. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! Welcome to this Alternate Universe SYOC! Here's the prologue, and if you are interested (I hope you are), please submit an OC through PM. Rules and more information can be found on my profile.**

 **Submission deadline is on 28 August (Singapore time). Good luck!**

 **Thanks to my Beta reader: _Laura 001_**

 **Darren "Dare" Lancaster, 25, Male**

How would you react if an age old myth turned out to be true? Declare that it was merely a myth, and it was impossible to truly exist? I would have done so, if not for the fact that two of the objects justifying the legend were in my possession.

You might say that I was being too naïve and quick to believe, but I have seen and touched those powerful items. Just by feeling the Crystal Prism, I can sense the tingling of immense power surging into my arm and circulating my body. And at that very moment, I knew that what was once a mere myth, was indeed a fact.

The only reason why Voldemort never sought these magical items was because he did not know of their existence. If only he knew the unstoppable power he could possess if he had all three items - the Crystal Prism, the Silver Ring, and the Goblet – Hogwarts would have been in ruins, and Death Eaters would have roamed both the wizarding and Muggle world.

For many centuries, perhaps even for a millennia, the legendary objects were hidden, and forgotten by those who had some inkling about them. As the years went by, those who knew of them, had passed on, and the items seemed to have vanished. A force so powerful and great was lost. And then in more recent years, out of the blue, a Muggle was reported carrying a strange, and otherworldly object. The Ministry of Magic looked into this matter, and rumors were spread like wildfire, all of them regarding the legendary ancient object. Ancient scrolls and books were pulled together, and various schools of thought were formed. When the second object was found months later, everyone had the same conclusion: The Legend was true.

As part of the Order, I was assigned to take both the discovered objects to a safe location. I was to keep it out of sight for the safety of both the magical and Muggle world. In the wrong hands, someone who possessed all three ancient items could cause worldwide destruction. While the third item was still missing, no one other than the Order was to know that the Crystal Prism and Goblet were in my hands. They trusted me to keep my mouth shut and items in a secure place. As an ex-Hufflepuff, I promised to do as I was told.

As my thin, white t-shirt flapped in the chilly breeze, I pulled my worn out black leather jacket tighter around my torso. A sling bag was slung over my shoulder, shielding the two ancient items from unwelcome gaze. I picked up my pace, feeling the icy cold wind seep into the fabric of my blue jeans, barely glancing at the other shops in Diagon Alley. The cold was really killing me.

Gringotts, the safest place ever in the world, was just up ahead. All I had to do was to deposit the two items in my vault, and pretend it had never happened.

Simple, right? Nothing could possibly go wrong.

I could not have been more wrong in my life. Just five meters from the glorious, golden warmth of the wizard bank, everything spun out of control.

Instinct told me to duck, and true enough, I watched as multiple jets of red light streaked over my head, missing my head by inches, and ruffling up my honey-blonde hair.

Immediately, the wand concealed in my sleeve was out and at the ready. Whirling around I tried to take in the identity of my attackers as they approached me from all sides.

My heart sank. There were ten of them, all wearing the same, heavy-looking hooded black cloaks. But worst of all, they were Shadow Agents. An independent organization working for a mastermind who desperately sought for the three ancient items in the hope of utilizing its power for personal gain. His followers were loyal, and highly trained in a wide range of spells. I was hopelessly outnumbered.

Deep down, I knew I had no chance. I could not stand against them for long. My mind was filled with only one hope – to secure the two ancient items. Gringotts, only five meters away from me, seemed so distant.

With a flick of my wrist, I sent a stunning spell at the nearest Shadow Agent, only to watch as it got deflected with a lazy swipe of his wand.

" _Protego!_ " I said in a whisper, and a strong, temporary shield charm expanded between me and my attackers. The Shadow Agents growled and lowered their wand arm a little, knowing that it would be fruitless to attack while the charm held. Yet they continued to advance on me, trapping me in an ever-tightening circle.

There was no way I could Disapparate out of here. Shadow Agents always placed charms around the area when they were hunting a target. Still, it was worth a shot. No harm trying.

I focused at the Order's Headquarters, and spun on the spot, willing myself to disappear from this unfortunate situation. As predicted, the Shadow Agents had barricaded the area with their charms, and I stayed resolutely where I was.

My heart pounded in fear and hopelessness as the shield charm flickered. I vowed to myself that I would protect the ancient items with every ounce of strength I had. I would protect them with my life.

" _Crucio!_ " a masked man yelled.

" _Expelliarmus!_ " another said.

The sounds of other incantations were either non-verbal or too soft to hear, and I leaped to the side, sending spells of my own back at them.

Dancing out of the path of colored jets of light, I managed to kill two Agents with my well-aimed killing curse.

I twisted in mid-step as an Imperious Curse flew towards me, barely missing my outstretched arm.

In the confusion of blinding lights and shouts, I did something most unworthy of a Hufflepuff.

A sneak attack.

I used one hand as a distraction, while my wand hand sent a silent, killing curse at one of my opponents at point blank range, followed by gutting another man with a concealed knife pulled swiftly out from my belt.

Both men had a look of surprised etched on their faces just before they collapsed unmoving on the concrete ground.

It was what most wizards and witches would call a lowly Muggle trick, and an unfair shot as what most Hufflepuffs would agree on. But my Muggle mother had taught me that Muggle trickery was not to be underestimated.

With six more Agents left, the tallest of the masked men stepped forwards with his arms wide, in a peaceful manner. It probably would have looked welcoming if not for the wand clasped tight in his hand, and five other men at the ready.

"Darren, right? I know your name." The man said in a low voice. "Valuable Order member. Tasked to keep the Crystal Prism and Goblet safe."

I hesitated. The Shadow Agents already knew that I was part of the Order. That was not so much of a secret, after all. But what worried me was how he knew about my duty to keep the objects locked up in Gringotts. It was a highly classified job, discussed in utmost secrecy. So how did this information leak out?

The tallest man stepped forward once more, this time tilting his head a little in mock contemplation. "You'd be surprised that I know a lot more about you, Darren Lancaster."

He paused for a moment, before continuing. "Mid-twenties…25 to be exact. Half-blood. Father was the wizard, but he died five years ago because you did not agree to work for our cause. Your mother was the Muggle, whom you tried to hide to protect her from us. She's the last family member you've got left."

 _How could the Shadow Agents possibly know so much about me?_ I thought uneasily. I would have to move my mother to another secure house. The Agents were too close for comfort.

With another step, the man planted himself just an arm length from me. I had a chance, if I could only move quick enough to…

"You don't want to kill me, Darren." The man said, looking first at the bloodstained knife in my hand, to the wand I was gripping tightly. Finally, his stern gaze settled on my eyes.

"And why would I not want to kill you?" I replied calmly, not breaking eye contact with him.

The amount of tension could almost be heard as my brown eyes held his coal black ones. Electricity seemed to burn in between.

"Because," the man said slowly and clearly, "we had your mother brought in to our Headquarters just this morning. And if you don't come in quietly, you will be the last of your bloodline."

His words rang in my ears. I could feel an icy numbness spreading from my chest. Suddenly, it felt hard to breathe. I was unable to maintain the contact with him, and dropped my gaze.

I watched in anger and hatred as the corners of the man's mouth twitched upwards. He could sense my heavy heart and dread.

I was caught between choosing worldwide destruction and my mother. But she was the only person I had left. I could not lose her. On the other hand, the third item – the Silver Ring - had not yet been found. He could not work his magic without that last item.

I did the last thing I could think of. Alert the Order. With that thought full in mind, I casted a Patronus to carry a final message to the Order's Headquarters.

As soon as the Agents saw the silvery wisp of my pug Patronus, they raised their wands in unison. I ducked again, but the Agents had predicted my movements, and the combined stunning spells hit me hard, causing me to fall forwards onto the hard floor. My left elbow sprang forwards instinctively to break my fall, but was unsuccessful. With a sickening crack, pain whipped up my arm, and I collapsed on the floor. Somehow, my sling bag had slipped off my head, and it was flung into the air by the impact of the spells.

Knowing I only had seconds, I croaked out to the silvery figure of the pug waiting for me.

"Order's Headquarters," I instructed, trying to ignore the overwhelming pain on my left arm, and attempting to keep my voice steady. "I've been compromised. Outside Gringotts. It's the Shadow Agents."

The tall man pointed his wand at me and sturdy ropes sprang out, pinning my hands to my body. My ankles were bound too, and there was no way I could possibly move.

The pug turned and leaped into the night, leaving a wispy silvery trail before disappearing with my message.

The tall Agent snatched my bag off the ground, and strapped it over himself. He dragged me up to a standing position and disappeared into the night, taking me along with him.

Although the guilt of knowing that I'd just switched the lives of everyone in this world for the life of my mother weighed down my heart like a rock, I didn't know how I could do otherwise.

I would probably lose whatever trust the Order had in me the minute they received word of my capture. As for the ancient items, they would most likely send out a group of members to make up for my mistake. Who the group is, I had no idea, but they had to be formidable to take down Shadow Agents in these numbers.

With the Shadow Agents focused on finding the Silver ring, the final item before they could take total control of the world, time was limited. But I had a budding hope. From my time spent in the Order, I know of wizards and witches capable of putting up a fight. As long as they could come together, they may still be able to save the world.

 **Like it? Review and if you like, submit an OC! Hate it? Please leave constructive criticism in the reviews. I have a lot of ideas as to how I want my rough plotline to be about, so it's quite safe to say that I won't get stuck in the middle of the story. Depending on how things turn out, I may or may not have a blog on character profiles. But if I do, I'll let you know :)**

 **OC form is on my profile, along with rules in information.**

 **I really do hope to see your OCs coming in! Thank you for submitting!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A very big thanks to all who had submitted an OC, even though yours was not chosen. I received more than 30 OCs in total, and it was a tough choice to pick my 7 characters. If your OC did not make it in, it's most likely because they did not fit within this story, or they were sort of a Mary Sue.**

 **These are the selected OCs:**

 **Ex-Ravenclaw: Niko Ingham, 28**

 **Ex-Gryffindor: Amelia Sabene Croix, 22**

 **Ex-Slytherin: Archie Leonhardt, 23 / Natalia Corleone, 24**

 **Ex-Hufflepuff: Darren Lancaster, 25**

 **Villians: Georgiana Liao, 24 / Amber Lothian, 27 / Edwin Whittaker, 20**

 **Congrats to the authors of these OCs! These are the best of the best! I hope I can write them nicely.**

* * *

 **Niko Ingham, 28, Male**

I feverishly flipped the yellowing pages of a thick, ancient book. It had to be in one of these books, somewhere. The three Magical Items were not unheard of. Rumors had been heard like whispers in the dark. And I, for one, knew that rumors always had a ring of truth surrounding them. All I had to do was to find it.

Besides, two of the Items had been found. That was as good as saying that the entire legend was undeniably true. But finding the last of the three items was not my job. I was already one step before the Order. What does it matter if you found the third Item – the Silver Ring – if you did not know what kind of power any of the items were capable of unleashing?

So here I was, sitting in the cellar of a rather rundown rustic farmhouse. Nothing fancy. However, this house was what I would call my 'Research Base'. Any history book dated back for hundreds of years, I had it all. Rare artifacts were secured in a basement, and occasionally a spare bit of jewel – where I got those are not important – which looked out of place in this old house.

I turned a few more pages, running my finger down the lines of fading texts, and letting my eyes scan through the words.

" _Powerful against many_ … _dangerous to wield_ … _a force to behold_." I muttered.

Instinct told me I was getting nearer. I thumbed through a few more crumpled pages. And just on cue, I spotted it.

" _The Three Magical Items consists of a Crystal Prism, a Silver Ring, and a Goblet. When brought together, deems the possessor untouchable. The Prism absorbs all magical power from nearby wizards in a half-mile radius of itself, and channels their energy to the wearer of the Ring. The only way to prevent this energy theft is by drinking from the Goblet, which neutralizes the effect on the drinker for a one hour time span._ "

There it was. I had finally found the most crucial information. Who would expect to find all these lying in a dusty, history book _From Legend to Reality_?

The Order has the Prism and Goblet. Just a few hours ago, a meeting had been held to discuss what was to be done with those Items. In the end, it concluded that those Items were to stay hidden and safe in the vaults of Gringotts. They'd sent out Darren – the kid who wasn't exactly the brightest, I might add – to take care transporting those items to Gringotts.

Anyway, I shifted some other ancient book off my study table and grabbed the nearest sheet of paper to use as a bookmark. Wedging the paper in between the pages, I closed the book and leant back on my chair. I picked up my favorite pipe and lit up the end, gazing into the puffs of smoke which helped me to think.

My thoughts were shattered by a loud ringing sound. Usually, Order members used the fireplace to communicate. Telephones were used only in emergency. Of course, I could be some of my informants or spies and nothing serious. But at this time in the night, it was unlikely for my informants to call. So when I heard my telephone ringing, I knew something was up.

I grabbed the receiver and placed it over my ear.

"Yes?" I asked immediately. Greetings and pleasantries were not necessary.

"Niko. It's Archie. Archie Leonhardt," a deep voice answered.

Ah yes. I remembered that guy. The young, somewhat playful guy who never stops flirting with girls. But he has the good looks with an athletic body, I'd give him that much.

"What's wrong, Archie? Did a girl dump you?" I closed my eyes, waiting for him to get to the point.

Archie could be heard giving a snort of disbelief at the other end. "Not at all, not at all. But the Order is calling an emergency meeting right now, and they need your ass over here."

"What's the hurry? Tell me what happened?" I sat upright.

Archie suddenly took up a more serious tone. "It's Darren. We received a message from his patronus. The Shadow Agents have got him. We have to think of our next step. Come quick."

That's all. The telephone line went dead after that. Archie must have put down his receiver.

Briefly, I wondered what could have happened to Darren. I hoped that the kid was alright, even though that was very unlikely. That foolish kid was always getting himself into trouble, I mumbled under my breath.

I got swiftly to my feet, sparing one glance at my reflection from a dusty mirror which stood in one corner of the room. Since I already was in my jeans, I took my medium length coat from the coat hanger and slid into it. I wrapped a white cravat around my neck and tucked it into my coat, and checked that my wand – a 10 inch, black birch wood with a core made of cold iron, with blue steel wire binding – was safely tucked in my coat pocket. Finally, I pushed back a few stray strands of my somewhat long hair so that I wouldn't look like I'd stayed up the entire night.

I tucked _From Legend to Reality_ under my arm and stepped out into the cold morning air. It was about 4 in the morning and the sun has yet to rise. The well-fitting scuffed boots kept my feet comfortably warm as I walked out of my house.

There was no way I could disapparate so close to my farmhouse. The area around my house was coated with layers upon layers with protective spells, warding enchantments, and anything you could think off. Well, when you've got a job like mine, one could never be too careful.

I hastened my steps and lengthened my strides, finally reaching the end of a deserted street. Only one flickering street lamp helped to illuminate the road. I'd reached the edge of the boundary of spells.

Picturing Archie's bungalow, or should I say mansion, I turned on the spot and vanished into the night.

* * *

 **Edwin Whittaker, 20, Male**

When Georgina – or Ana, for short – summons you to her office, you will start to feel a certain numbness in your fingers. Beads of sweat would roll down your spine and forehead, and your heart would feel as though claws were reaching to steal it. All in all, it was definitely not a good feeling.

How would I know?

Easy. Just no more than thirty minutes ago, I had experienced that. And to add, I wasn't even that type of person who would cower in the corner just because I was scared. I may look like a timid teen who gets bullied in school. But one should not judge the book by its cover. I'm a calm person, the levelheaded one. The guy who could wiggle his way out of any problem by pulling my famous 'dumb and confused' look.

That was the effect Ana had on everyone. If she caught any monkey business, you're dead.

Luckily for me, Ana didn't call me to her office because I did something wrong. She needed me for business.

"Will you be up to the job?" asked Ana sweetly, her head tilted to one side.

I was not a fool. When she asked that question, there was only one answer you could give. And her smiling face? I knew it was all for show.

"I will manage, Miss Liao." I nodded.

Ana considered him. She placed her hands delicately on the top knee of her crossed legs.

"I know you will. Or die trying, because you know what would await should you fail." Her voice was cold now, and a hardness could be detected it her eyes.

I steeled my nerves and barely managed to keep my gaze on her. "I understand. If I fail, you will turn me in to the Ministry and lock me up in a cell in Azkaban to rot."

Deep in my heart, there was a bubble of anger which swelled at her words. I never enjoyed being pushed around and asked to do things. Perhaps if Ana had asked nicely, I would feel differently about carrying out her orders. I forced to keep down any emotions that threatened to show on my face. She was my superior; my boss. If I spoke up, or disagreed in any way, she was capable of doing a lot worse. So I bit my tongue and swallowed my words.

Her face still showed no emotions as she replied, "I am glad you understand the consequences. Now leave. It would not do to be late for the Order meeting."

"Yes, Miss Liao." I agreed.

"On your way out, please tell Amber to come in. I wish to have a word with her to discuss the timely capture of Darren Lancaster. The tables have turned, the Shadow Agents have the upper hand, and Lancaster can provide us with valuable information. You are dismissed."

I bowed, then turned and tried to flee from her office as quickly as I could.

Doing exactly as what Ana told me, I found Amber and passed the message to her. Then I ran my sweaty palms through my short, wavy, dark brown hair and heaved a sigh of relief.

However, I knew things would get much more complicated from here. I would have to play everything out perfectly. One wrong move and I'd be caught by the order.

If I pulled this off, I would be a master of emotions and a two faced Agent. An undercover Shadow Agent sent to lure the Order into false security. This was my forte, of course. I knew the basics of changing my expression from angry to cheerful to teary in less than a second. I was in my element. This was spying at its finest.

I took the uneven stone steps two at a time, reaching the second level where the more important Shadow Agents had their bedrooms. Okay, not so much of a bedroom actually. It's more of a private space which also contained my bed. The walls were actually rocks.

See, the Shadow Agent's headquarters was located in the middle of a vast expense of forest, hidden away from the rest of the world. A thick canopy of leaves shielded the Shadow Agent's base from unfriendly, prying eyes. Assuming the protective enchantments allow you to see our headquarters, from an aerial view, you could make up a large cave with grey rocks. All around the entrance of this cave, there were sturdy iron gates stretching to the highest branches. It kept outsiders out and insiders in.

Back in my room, I reached for a travelling pack. I knew I wouldn't come back until my mission was complete, and that could take some time. I snatched a few jeans and casual clothing, stuffed a few more essential belongings and slung the pack over my shoulders. Then I slid my wand up my sleeve, took one more look at my room, and marched downstairs.

I left the headquarters and strode over to the iron gates. The guards recognized me as usual, and gave a respectful nod in my direction, allowing me to pass the gates. Just beyond the threshold, I focused on the Order's headquarters – Archibald Leonhardt's huge house – before spinning on the spot and disappearing without a trace.

* * *

 **Thanks to _motordog_ for Niko Ingham and ****_capricorn66_ for Edwin Whittaker!**

 **If your character has not yet made an appearance or if they were only mentioned briefly, I promise I'll get to them soon. I'll make sure every character has their own POV.**

 **Please review? :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I am really sorry for not updating this in months. Been really busy, but I've a chapter ready.**

* * *

 **Archibald "Archie" Leonhardt, 23, Male**

I pointed my wand at the tea table, and gave it a flick. The small table, which was usually able to sit two to three people, expanded to the size of a large dining table. Another swish of the wand, and six chairs appeared out of thin air. In a matter of seconds, the table was set, ready for the other members of the Order to arrive.

It wasn't as if there was much time for preparation, so this had to suffice. I rang up Niko first, then tracked down the rest of the other Order members. We hadn't had such an important meeting in years, so eventually I've lost touch with some of them. Nevertheless, I'd kept their contact, just in case situations like this happens.

The doorbell chimed, and the wooden door swung open automatically, recognizing the visitor. Just as I'd expected, Niko had arrived first.

I nodded at him in greeting as he stepped into the threshold. Then, I turned back to the meeting table that I'd set up in a hurry, realizing what was missing.

Yes, the flowers.

I grabbed the small, intricate glass vase which was sitting on a shelf and placed it right in the centre of the table. And the flowers – I arranged them so that they didn't clump together in a bunch.

There you go. Now we just have to wait for everyone to arrive.

The bell chimed again. This time, the door swung open to reveal two pretty girls.

Damn it…ah, shit.

He'd forgotten who was who. Both girls had similar features. Tall, lean, brown hair, rather tanned skin….they could have been sisters and no one could really tell them apart if they didn't look too closely.

 _Darn, Archie_ , I scolded myself mentally. _What did I say about forgetting the names of lovely ladies?_

I cleared my throat and gave them my ever winning smile and a small bow. "Come in, ladies, make yourself comfy."

The girl wearing the red tank top returned him the same smile, but before heading deeper into the house, she stopped in front of him and said with a raised eyebrow, "Bet you've forgotten my name, Archie."

I stared at her, doing my best not to let the smile slide of my face as I ran mentally ran through the long list of female names that I knew. I took note of her startling blue-grey eyes, ear-piercing on both sides, and her style of clothing – black leather jacket over a red tank top, light-wash skinny jeans and ankle-length black zip up combat boots.

Still, no name came into my mind.

I had to say something soon, before she sensed she'd won the game. I cast my mind around for a name…anything.

"Amelia, right." I said, injecting a false sense of confidence. "Told you I'd remember."

The girl smirked, and I was just about to congratulate myself for that one stroke of luck, when she replied, "Nope, I'm Natalia."

"Whoopsy." I said apologetically, "I was about to say that anyway."

She snorted in disbelief and whispered, cocking her head at the other girl who had already proceeded to the kitchen, "She's Amelia. Or Mia, for short."

"Alright, alright." I said, putting up both my hands in mock surrender. "You girls win. But we need to get to the serious stuff. Meeting in the kitchen."

I waited for everyone to take a seat and get comfy before taking a seat myself.

The girl with the heart-shaped face and high cheekbones – Amelia – leaned back on her chair and said, "So, what's the urgency of this meeting? You told us something big had happened."

I rolled my eyes and said coolly, purely to annoy people, "That's because something big _has_ happened."

My cheek had earned a sharp kick in the shin from Niko.

"Get to the point, what's up with Darren?" Niko asked.

"Well," I said, "Records have shown that he was on his way to Gringotts to secure the two Items when apparently he was ambushed by a bunch of attackers."

"You told me that before, but even as I hate to admit it, the kid should've been able to handle a couple of attackers." Niko replied.

"It was more than just _a couple_." I clarified, "And it wasn't any attacker. It was Shadow Agents. At least ten of them."

Amelia sigh, and took a deep breath before saying, "Okay. So Darren was captured, the two items are lost to the Shadow Agents, and that puts us back in square one."

"Yeah." I smiled. "That's just about right. We're back to square –"

"Woah, hold it." Natalia cut in. "Why did you guys let Darren go on his own? It isn't safe into Diagon Alley in the middle of the night all alone."

Niko looked at her, "It was supposed to be done in secrecy, remember? It's just too bad he got ran into Shadow Agents on the way."

"Then we've got to save him, don't we? He's one of us. Who knows what those Agents are doing to him right now."

"No, we can't. That would be as good as walking right into a trap. Right now, it's likely that the guy is being tortured for information of the two items. If we get caught too, it won't be doing him any favours." Niko said sternly.

"But –"

Natalia was cut off mid-sentence by the doorbell chime, and in an instant, all four inhabitants in the house had their wands out, pointing at the entrance into the kitchen.

Amelia stood up, and gracefully weaved her way into the corridor which lead to the main door. Her wand was clenched tightly in her right hand.

"Is there anyone else you're expecting?" She whispered in a low tone to me.

"No." I replied in an equally hushed voice.

I could feel my heart pounding faster. What are the chances that it was a stranger appearing on our doorstep just as we were having a meeting? And this was like no other regular meeting. This was a totally unplanned, emergency gathering.

The door did not open on its own, confirming the fact that this was a stranger.

The doorbell rang again, and this time, the person standing outside knocked his knuckles on the door.

"This is important." The stranger said. His voice was muffled by the door. "It concerns one of our Order members. I was sent here by the head of the Order to work with your team to do whatever we can to help the already dull situation we are in. Please let me in."

The four friends glanced at each other before looking back at the door. Silently, they crept out of the kitchen, down the corridor and into the spacious living room, and faced the main door.

"I know it's hard to believe, but I'm new here, and they assigned me this team." The stranger rapped his knuckles on the door again.

* * *

 **Amelia Sabene Croix, 22, Female**

I hesitated, wondering whether or not to believe what the stranger had said. No doubt it was fishy that this stranger could have found this safehouse just in time for the meeting. However, what he said could have been true. If he was an innocent kid who was really posted here with some information to help us, then it would be a benefit to us.

Besides, I reasoned, he was one person, out there, against all four of us. If he turned out to be someone not whom he said he was, then he'd be outnumbered anyway. It was likely that he was telling the truth.

I caught Archie eyes which were raised in question, and nodded, telling him wordlessly to open the door.

Niko shrugged but didn't say anything, only raising his wand a little higher. My close friend Natalia just stared at the door.

I knew exactly what she was thinking. It was like that with people whom you know really well. Although she was an ex-Slytherin and I was an ex-Gryffindor back during our Hogwarts days, we just had some things in common, and somehow, we clicked. Just like that.

Natalia half-wanted to know whatever information she could get on Darren. I'd watched her the entire time during the meeting, and I knew that she was desperate to rescue Darren back from the clutches of the Shadow Agents.

Archie crossed over to the door in two strides, unclasped the lock, turned the doorknob, and flung the door open.

The four of us had our wands raised, pointed at the person standing just outside the threshold of the safehouse. I was already starting to find it funny in this position that we were all standing, and would probably have laughed out if the situation was not so tense.

There, standing right in the center of the door frame, stood a skinny but tall guy, roughly just past his teens, wearing a plaid shirt, dark jeans and some worn out dark green tennis shoes.

Archie was the first to let out a burst of laughter, which he disguised as a cough.

"Hey there, young man." He said, lowering his wand and extending a hand to the boy.

The guy tried for a weak smile, and he looked at all of us in turn before breaking eye contact with Niko and turning to Archie to give him a handshake.

"H-Hi." He said timidly.

I relaxed. Working with a new team member was way better than having to deal with some unfriendly visitors. Besides, this boy hadn't given any of them reason to think that he was untrustworthy, or up to something nasty.

If he claimed to be just a new Order member – which I was ready to believe given his young age, which meant that he'd probably graduated from Hogwarts a couple of years ago – then I would give him the benefit of doubt. The poor guy looked nervous at the sight of four adults surrounding him on all sides.

I stepped in to intervene, "Nice to meet you, my name is Amelia, but you can just call me Mia."

He nodded, giving me a tentative smile that was warm and friendly. Immediately, I knew he'd have no problem working with us.

"And this is Natalia here," I pointed to my best friend, "and that is Niko and Archie over there."

Niko gave a jerk of his head in acknowledgement. Archie gave one of his own smiles in return.

I could sense that Natalia wanted to get on with the meeting. But just as she opened her mouth to say something, I decided to take the lead.

"Alright, alright." I said, "Let's get the ball rolling, shall we? We kind of have a tight schedule here."

I paused, then looked at the boy, "So, any information you can give us regarding our lost member?"

He shrugged, but said, "Not much from the information that you guys already have. But I do have a suggestion on how to move on from here."

"And that is…?" Natalia trailed off.

The boy stood up taller, thrilled that he was the one to supply them with ideas.

"Well, since we already know that Darren was captured just outside Gringotts, there might be a chance that the goblins know something about this. That's one place we could start."

The possibility that the goblins might know of the commotion in the wee hours of the morning was very slim. Yet, I knew that there was nothing else we could do. We had no lead on this case. Digging up information and piecing them together is certainly not going to be easy, but at least it was a start.

I looked to the others, "Any other suggestions?"

Niko frowned in deep thought, but he replied in a low voice, "I think he's right."

"Mmm." Said Archie.

Natalia agreed.

I clapped my hands and declared, "Okay, so we'll follow up on his idea. Let's go check up on that bank. See if those Goblins are helpful enough."

"Woah, woah!" Archie interrupted, "Don't you think that the Shadow Agents might be there, waiting to capture us? They know that we're trying to find Darren, and that Gringotts would be the first place we go to. What's to say that we're walking right into a trap?"

"That is probable." Niko replied, rubbing one hand on his chin, "But I doubt that. First of all, the sun's about to be up. Wizards and Witches are already busy in Diagon Alley running their shops. The streets are packed with people. It's highly unlikely for those Agents to roam about, unless they're asking to be caught."

"Secondly," Niko continued, "I'd say that the Agents are rather busy with their latest prisoner. They'd much rather use their skills to wheedle information out of him than to come after us."

"Precisely." I said, giving Niko an appraising look. "Now, let's get going before – as the Muggles say – the cows come home."

Natalia turned to look at the boy who was still standing by the door, fidgeting with his fingers.

"I'm sorry, but you didn't introduce yourself. What's your name?" she asked sweetly.

The boy smiled back at her, "I'm Edwin. Edwin Whittaker."

* * *

 **Thanks to _Hell Devil 13_ for Archie and _BellaRosa17_ for Amelia!**

 **I hope you enjoyed it. And please leave a review to let me know how you find the story, and its characters.**


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